SLCene Suggests: Lydia Loveless at The Garage/The Heavy Metal Shop

The first impressions I got of Lydia Loveless were from writers trying to describe the sound of the 23-year-old Ohio songwriter’s new Somewhere Else album, and most of them dropped names like The Replacements and the Pretenders, Springsteen and Stevie Nicks in their efforts. Naturally, I was intrigued enough to get a copy of Somewhere Else, and I can safely say I’ll be shocked if the set doesn’t end up on my list of fave 2014 releases. It’s her fourth album, and her sonic palette has already expanded dramatically from the honky-tonk vibes of the older releases I delved into after falling for Somewhere Else. The chemistry with long-time band members Ben Lamb (bass) and Todd May (guitar/vocals) is readily evident, and new drummer Nick German fits right in as Loveless and Co. tackle an array of roots and rock moves. There are two great options for seeing Loveless on Wednesday, either at a free in-store gig at The Heavy Metal Shop at 5 p.m., or a few hours later at The Garage.